How Overwhelming Expectations Affect Teens

Imagine being 15 and having people expect you to know what you want to do for the rest of your life, expecting you to excel in school, go to college. With these expectations you’re also taking care of any responsibilities outside of school and if you don’t you’re disappointing and letting people down. Teens and young adults in and out of high school are faced with these high expectations everyday.

The expectations being placed on teens and young adults are high and they can get very overwhelming. Most of us aren’t taught how to handle the stress of high expectations or how to manage our time. We let that stress and anxiety consume us, or we push it down. Doing this can affect your mental health, which can have an effect on almost every other aspect of your life.

With schoolwork, chores, and jobs we don’t have the time to go outside and take time for ourselves anymore. According to Plymouth.com, Dr. Heidi Peddell Hall said that research has shown that sunshine and vitamin D can boost people’s sense of wellbeing. The Washington Post says a new study conducted by the American Psychological Association found that young people are more burdened by pressure from others. Psychologists Thomas Curran and Andrew Hill found that unhealthy perfectionism has seen the biggest increase in those who feel pressure by expectations of others. Many of the people around us make us think that we have to be perfect at everything we do, and it can be unhealthy.

Teens and young adults have multiple high expectations from others and it can become overwhelming. These expectations take up almost all of our time, making it so we have no time to to take time for ourselves. Dr. Jim Sorenson said he agrees with Dr. Peddell Hall’s statement that we need to spend more time outside because it has been proven that sunlight and vitamin D can improve our sense of wellbeing. These expectations have affected me my whole life. When I was younger I was in the gifted program in school, so I was expected to get good grades. I’ve been in band since seventh grade, so my band director has always expected me to know and practice my music while I also had chores and family to take care of at home.

Now as my first year of high school is coming to an end I am faced with more of those expectations. I’m in an advanced program for high school. I’m in marching band that has

practices almost every day of the week, and competitions that I have to perform in. My school requires a minimum of thirty volunteer hours every school year, so I have to find time for those. These expectations are only the ones I have at school and I have more at home. These expectations have made me miss out on fantastic opportunities because I couldn’t fit them into my schedule, they’ve made me spend very little time with my family and even affected my school work, but they’re things that will help my future and that’s what keeps me going. I do this for me and no one else.

Teachers and parents need to start being more supportive instead of adding onto these expectations. They should teach us how to handle and cope with the stress and anxiety that comes from expectations. Teenagers and young adults need to realize that it’s okay to take a break sometimes. We need to start making more time to relax and take care of ourselves. We work hard and do our best, and that’s all we can do and we should be proud of what we’ve accomplished.